Madrid Christmas Market & Other December Events

December (2009) Events in Madrid

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

• Primavera Club Madrid
  • When? December 9 - December 13
    
  • Where? Joy Eslava, El Rincón del Arte Nuevo, El Sol, Nasti, Colonial Norte, Teatro Fernan Gomez, Teatro Real, Zanzibar, Sala Taboo, Libertad 8 Café, Las Tablas, El Plaza, Cafe Central, Contra Club, Wurlitzer Ballroom
    
  • What? Madrid's version of the Primavera Club music festival made popular in Barcelona. This edition's bands include: Cass Mccombs, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Deertick, Health, Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, The Black Heart Procession, Port O Brien, Wave Machines, Will Johnson & Jason Molina, Scout Niblett, Devendra Banhart
• Christmas Market
  • When? November 28 - December 31
    
  • Where? Plaza Mayor
    
  • What? Peruse the 100 stalls selling all the holiday essentials: trees, decorations, nativity sets, ornaments, sweets and much more.
• Caja Madrid Gospel Festival
  • When? December 12 - December 20
    
  • Where? Casa Encendida & Teatro Fernan Gomez
    
  • What? Gospel music festival featuring gospel choirs from both Spain and the USA.
• San Silvestre Vallecana
  • When? December 31
    
  • Where? Vallecas district
    
  • What? An annual tradition since the 1960's, the San Silvestre Vallecana is a 10-kilometer New Years Eve dash through Vallecas.
• Nochevieja (New Years)
  • When? December 31
    
  • Where? Puerta del Sol
    
  • What? Head to the Puerta del Sol, where the big countdown to 2010 is televised nationally. The tradition is to eat the 12 "uvas de la suerta", or "lucky grapes", along with the 12 chimes of the midnight clock. A night of partying then ensues throughout the city.

EXHIBITIONS & CULTURAL EVENTS

• Holandeses en El Prado
  • When? December 3 - April 4 (2010)
    
  • Where? El Prado
    
  • What? A selection of Dutch paintings featuring the most representative works of a variety of genres. Pieces by Rembrandt, Swanevelt, Both and others.
• Un anhelo de infinito
  • When? November 4 - February 25 (2010)
  • Where? Museo Reina Sofía
    
  • What? An exhibition dedicated to Belgian abstract sculptor, painter, architect and theorist Georges Vantongerloo, considered one of the most important artist - thinkers of the 20th century.
• Brillos en bronce. Colecciones de reyes.
  • When? November 12 - January 24 (2010)
    
  • Where? Jardines de Sabatini
    
  • What? An exhibition of over 120 bronze sculptures amassed over the centuries by Spain's monarchs.
• Carlos III. Entre Nápoles y España
  • When? October 28 - January 10 (2010)
    
  • Where? Calcografía Nacional
    
  • What? An exhibition of 48 works (paintings, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, etc.) highlighting the political, cultural and social advances of Carlos III's monarchy during his reign in Naples, Italy (Spanish territory, at the time). It commemorates the 250th anniversary of Carlos III's rise to the thrown. in 1759.
• El mayor espectáculo del mundo: Juguetes de circo
  • When? December 19 - March 7
    
  • Where? Museo del Traje
    
  • What? An exhibition based on the world of the circus featuring related objects - toys, posters, dolls, puppets, games, etc. - that recreate tents, animals, acrobats, clowns and other typical circus elements.
• Lágrimas de Eros
  • When? October 20 - January 31 (2010)
    
  • Where? Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Paseo del Prado 8)
    
  • What? A reflection on the evolution of erotism and sexual passion as depicted in art. Exhibition features mainly 19th century painting and sculpture - Rodin, Delacroix, Ingres, Canova, etc. - but also incorporates artwork from before and after.
• Jan van Eyck. Grisallas. Jan van Eyck. Grisailles.
  • When? November 3 - January 31 (2010)
    
  • Where? Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Paseo del Prado 8)
    
  • What? Comparison of grisaille artwork, mainly paintings and drawings, by 15th-century Flemish artist Jan van Eyck.
    
• El Oficio de Mirar The Trade of Looking
  • When? October 16 - January 10 (2010)
    
  • Where? Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
    
  • What? Retrospective of the work of photographer César Lucas, who took many of the most iconic photographs of Spain's transition period (the 1970's and 1980's; the years following the end of Spain's 35-year dictatorship). 120 photographs - photojournalism, portraits, film stars, publicity, society - are on display.
    
• Fantin - Latour
  • When? September 29 - January 10 (2010)
    
  • Where? Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Paseo del Prado 8)
    
  • What? An exhibition of 70 works by French painter Henri Fantin Latour.
• David Maljkovic
  
  • When? September 9 - January 18 (2010)
    
  • Where? Museo Reina Sofía (Santa Isabel 52)
    
  • What? An exhibition of videos, drawings and objects used to reflect upon abandoned buildings and obsolete architecture,all while underlining the importance of remembering the past.
• Maíno
  
  • When? October 20 - January 17 (2010)
    
  • Where? El Prado (Ruiz de Alarcón 23)
    
  • What? An exhibition of works by the very original yet largely unkonwn 16th- and 17- century Spanish painter Juan Bautista Maíno. The exhibition consists of approximately 35 paintings by Maíno, along with those of his Spanish and Italian contemporaries.
• Mantos de la Eternidad
  
  • When? September 24 - February 28 (2010)
    
  • Where? Museo de América (Av. de los Reyes Católicos 6)
    
  • What? An exhibition of elaborate mummycloths and other objects used in burial rituals of ancient Peru. Discovered in 1925, the exhibition's 82 pieces date back to between 100 B.C. and 200 A.D.

THEATRE & DANCE

• Grease
  • When? September 30 - January 6 (2010)
    
  • Where? Nuevo Teatro Alcalá
    
  • What? A production of the famous musical Grease.
• La Tierra
  • When? November 19 - December 27
    
  • Where? Centro Drámatico Nacional
    
  • What? A stage production of La Tierra, by highly-regarded contemporary playwright José Ramón.
• Drácula
  • When? December 3 - January 10 (2010)
    
  • Where? Centro Drámatico Nacional
    
  • What? A stage production of the famous work Dracula.
• Chicago
  • When? November 27 - December 13
    
  • Where? Coliseum (Gran Vía 78)
    
  • What? Famous Broadway prison musical written by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fed Ebb.
• El Mago de Oz. El Musical. The Wizard of Oz. The Musical.
  
  • When? October 25 - December 18
    
  • Where? Príncipe Gran Vía
    
  • What? Musical production of The Wizard of Oz.
• Peter Pan. El Musical. Peter Pan. The Musical.
  • When? October 3 - December 13
    
  • Where? Teatro de la Latina
    
  • What? A musical production of J.M. Barrie's famous Peter Pan.
• Jenufa
  • When? December 4 - December 22
  • Where? Teatro Real
  • What? Opera in three acts by Leos Janácek.

CONCERTS & MUSIC

• Charlie Winston
  • When? December 2
  • Where? Caracol
    
  • What? www.charliewinston.com
• Marilyn Manson
  • When? December 3
  • Where? Palacio de Deportes
  • What? www.marilynmanson.com
• Recital de Wolfgang Holzmair
  • When? December 3
  • Where? Teatro Real (Sala Gayarre)
  • What? Recital by Austrian contemporary baritone singer Wolfgang Holzmair
• The Prodigy
  • When? December 4
  • Where? Palacio de Deportes
  • What? www.theprodigy.com
• UFO
  • When? December 5
  • Where? Sala Heineken
    
  • What? www.ufo-music.info
• Editors
  • When? December 9
  • Where? La Riviera
    
  • What? www.editorsofficial.com
• Devendra Banhart
  • When? December 9
  • Where? Círculo de Bellas Artes
    
  • What? www.devendrabanhart.com
• Biffy Clyro
  • When? December 12
  • Where? Sala Heineken
  • What? www.biffyclyro.com
• Concierto lírico Cecilia Bartoli
  • When? December 12
  • Where? Teatro Real
  • What? Concert by Italian mezzo-soprano opera singer Cecilia Bartoli.
• Domingos de Cámara, concierto nº 3
  • When? December 13
  • Where? Teatro Real
  • What? Chamber music concert featuring works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Luis Cosme Gonzalez, Conrado del Campo and Witold Lutoslawski.
• Paradise Lost
  • When? December 16
  • Where? Sala Heineken
    
  • What? www.paradiselost.co.uk
• Living Colour
  • When? December 21
  • Where? Sala Heineken
    
  • What? www.livingcolour.com
• Concierto lírico de Diana Damrau
  • When? December 23
  • Where? Teatro Real
  • What? Concert by German lyric coloratura soprano opera singer Diana Damrau.

* Want to see past months' events? Take a look! Madrid Events